The veteran collegiate basketball coach, who has over 30 years experience coaching in the college ranks, knows how to temper her praise to fit any given situation.

On Saturday she was appreciative of Crystal Bradford’s effort because the dynamic sophomore went for a career-high 31 points in a 92-69 victory over upstart Akron.

But she quantified her praise by saying she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be satisfied with Bradford’s game.

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It was high praise offered up with a bit of yearning for more because Guevara knows Bradford still has plenty of room to improve and it’s her job to tap into that and extract it.

Some 24 hours prior Guevara didn’t temper her praise when Andrea Johns spoke to the team about her daughter Katie Johns and her ongoing battle with brain cancer.

Since September the CMU women’s basketball program has adopted the 5-year old Midland resident as a member of its team and the energetic and bouncy youngster has been an inspiration since becoming a Chippewa.

“She’s a warrior,” said Guevara of Katie Johns. “Look at what she’s been through and look where she wants to be; she wants to be with us. I want our players to appreciate what she is going through and for us to help her through it. She looks forward to being here with us because she’s a part of our family.”

Senior Jessica Schroll approached Guevara with the idea of adopting a little sister through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation last summer and for the past six months Katie Johns has become an honorary member of the CMU women’s basketball team.

“The last program I was at at Iowa State we did the same thing and it really had an impact on my life and I could see the impact it had on the little girl,” said Schroll, a Midland native who transferred from Iowa State to CMU last year. “Friends of Jaclyn is the organization we adopted her through. It’s an organization started for a little girl who had a brain tumor and it’s a great organization that does great things. I had been looking for a little girl to join our team all last summer and when I was going to lunch one day I saw a poster for a Katie benefit. It was a sign that she was the little girl that we were going to help.”

Katie Johns was diagnosed with Pilacytic astrocytoma last July and just recently finished her seventh chemotherapy treatment in Ann Arbor. She also underwent a 13-hour high-risk surgical procedure last summer and was hospitalized for a week. Since then she’s made significant strides and during Friday’s practice and Saturday’s home game she was a bundle of energy.

“I think what they’re doing is great,” said Andrea Johns. “She’s very, very shy but she talks about the girls all the time. It makes her day and puts a smile on her face when she’s here. She’s been to every (home) game but one and she counts the days down. At home she’s got a drawing board where she makes little Xs on to run the plays. She makes lay-ups in the hallway so she definitely loves this team. During the games she’s involved, she’ll help with water and be in the center of the group during timeouts.”

To the players Katie Johns has been welcomed with open arms, and there’s plenty of them to go around too. During any given home game she finds her spot on the bench or on a teammates lap before springing to action when there’s a stoppage in play.

“She’s become this team’s little sister and it’s helped her as well as helped us,” said Schroll. “She loves everybody on the team and everyone loves her.”

Sophomore guard Jessica Green has become a personal favorite of Katie Johns, so much so that during Saturday’s game Johns entertained herself by working on her passing game with Green during a timeout or two.

“She brightens up our day when she’s here,” said Green. “We get her to talk and laugh and take pictures because we want to give her an environment where she knows we’re there for her. We’re like her bigger sisters and we will do whatever we can for her.”

To Guevara the youngest member of her team is already a champion and she hopes some of her championship mettle rubs off on the remainder of the roster.

“There are some kids like Katie that have their whole life ahead of them, but she has some tough challenges right now,” said Guevara. “She’s embracing those challenges and that’s what we talk about, embracing the change (and) embracing the challenge in going after a championship. In order to get a championship you have to be determined, you have to be persistent and you have to be tough and that’s what Katie is.”

Jim Lahde is the Morning Sun sports editor. He may be reached at 989-779-6061, jlahde@michigannewspapers.com or follow him on Facebook.